New research Stanford University in collaboration with The Latino Cancer Institute uncovers barriers to breast cancer care in Latino and other marginalized communities.

A message from Ysabel Duron, Founder & CEO, The Latino Cancer Institute

Two years ago, The Latino Cancer Institute joined Stanford University as a co-investigator to uncover what’s really happening in breast cancer care for Latinas in our communities. Now, we have findings that confirm what many of us have long suspected: low-income, Spanish-speaking, and other vulnerable women face significant barriers to life-saving tumor testing.

What We Found Changes Everything

Working with five Bay Area community agencies, we recruited participants directly from our communities, held two public town halls, and convened expert meetings. The result? A clear and unsettling picture: some women have access to critical tumor testing—and others do not.

This testing shouldn’t be optional. It identifies how cancer cells behave and helps guide treatment. Without it, women may not receive the therapies that give them the best shot at survival. This is not just a gap in access—it’s a matter of life and death. It should be a standard of care!

(Click/Tap on the image to download the Infographics for Advancing Breast Cancer Tumor Testing.)

Why This Work Matters

As someone who’s spent decades advocating for Latino cancer patients, I know that research without community engagement often misses the mark. That’s why this partnership with Stanford was different. We didn’t just observe our communities—we brought their voices into the research.

The community agencies ensured we reached the women whose stories needed to be heard. Our town halls allowed space for honest dialogue. And our expert meetings helped interpret the findings with both scientific rigor and cultural insight.

The Power of Partnership

This is the kind of work TLCI champions: science grounded in community. When academic institutions partner authentically with trusted community organizations, we move beyond documenting disparities—we uncover root causes and identify solutions.

And at a time when federal funding for health equity research is under threat, these partnerships matter more than ever. They show that community-led research isn’t just possible—it’s essential.

What Comes Next

Funded by the California Breast Cancer Research Program, a taxpayer supported state agency, Stanford’s research team, led by Manali I. Patel, MD MPH MS, has developed infographics in English and Spanish to make our findings accessible to the very communities that made this research possible. Because these findings belong to them.

The results are troubling—but they’re also a call to action. When we face the truth, we can demand better. TLCI is here to turn data into advocacy and advocacy into impact.

Thank you to Stanford, our community partners, and especially the women who shared their stories. Your voices are changing how breast cancer is understood—and how it’s treated.

Learn more and get involved:
• Follow us @thelatinocancerinstitute on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Threads
• Register for our free, virtual Latino Men’s Health Forum Series
• Support our research and advocacy

When federal research fails our communities, we step up.

Explore More: Latina Breast Cancer & Health Equity

Want to learn more? These videos, newsletters, and articles expand on the realities—and solutions—surrounding breast cancer in Latino communities.

• 899 Latinas Educated, but Barriers to Testing Remain (Spring 2025) — Tu Historia Cuenta newsletter
• The scary but lifesaving truth about Latinas and breast cancer (April 2025) — De Los Article from Los Angeles Times
• Latina Breast Cancer, Culture, and the Call to Action (April 2025)
• Latina Breast Cancer, Health Equity & Advocacy (April 2025)
• Stanford-TLCI Breast Cancer Study Event Held (March 2025)
• 2024 Forum 3: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back – Advances and Barriers in Latina Breast Cancer. (Video, October 2024) Part of TLCI’s 2024 Friday Forum Series: Talking about cancer won’t kill us, the silence will!